Paradip, Sept. 1 (UDN): The week-long search for 22 crew members missing after the sinking of Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner off the Odisha coast has been officially called off, with rescue authorities now presuming the missing seafarers dead.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ended the extensive search-and-rescue operation after days of coordinated efforts across the Bay of Bengal failed to locate any additional survivors.
Massive rescue operation yields only two survivors
The 28-year-old cargo vessel sank on August 22 soon after departing Paradip Port with around 72,000 tonnes of iron ore destined for China via Singapore.
Of the 24 crew members on board, only two Chinese nationals survived after being found aboard a life raft. They were later repatriated to China through Kolkata after completing immigration and other formalities.
Multi-agency search
The search operation involved Indian Coast Guard ships, Indian Navy aircraft and vessels, merchant ships in the area and two Chinese vessels that joined the rescue efforts.
During the operation, rescuers recovered an empty lifeboat and the vessel’s emergency beacon, but no trace of the remaining crew members was found despite sustained searches across a wide stretch of the Bay of Bengal.
Investigators are expected to rely on the testimony of the two rescued crew members as part of efforts to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the vessel’s sinking.
Probe shifts to cause of sinking
With rescue efforts now concluded, the focus has shifted to determining what caused the bulk carrier to sink shortly after leaving Paradip.
Investigators are expected to examine the vessel’s condition, cargo, voyage records and the circumstances preceding the accident to establish whether any technical failures or other factors contributed to the tragedy.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that no FIR has yet been registered in connection with the maritime casualty, a development that has prompted questions from maritime stakeholders seeking clarity on the legal process following one of the region’s most significant recent shipping disasters.